From grilled fish with breadcrumbs to whole roasted pig with wild fennel, Le Marche is full of delicious things to eat in picturesque medieval villages. If the best way to know a culture is through its food, then I would suggest traveling with a fork!

This marks the fourth year of our extended series on "Eating your way through Le Marche," created to help you plan your trip around food & to promote the delicious gastronomic traditions & festivals of Le Marche. PLEASE please note - none of these dates are "set in stone." It is smart to call, email & check the web sites for more information. And please add any others you know of in the comments below!

June 2012

Apecchio
Fiera del Santissimo Crocifisso (1st Sunday)
Market along the streets of the town

Monte Grimano Terme
Sagra dello spignolo (1st weekend, Saturday afternoon, Sunday all day)
Mushroom festival (spignolo) with typical products, tastings, games, music, dancing & fun.

Sant'Ippolito
Fiera del castello (1st Sunday)
The castle market fair all day.

Cartoceto
Sagra dei vincigrassi (1st Sunday 6pm)
Vincigrassi - local lasagna festival

Borgo Pace
Festa della schiacciata (1st Sunday - all day)
Schiacciata festival - a special bread made with rosemary. Food & wine, games & religious procession.

Pesaro
Caprile Agrishow (1st weekend)
Market fair of food products, live entertainment, visit the gardens with ancient waterworks, gastronomic stands all day.

Fano
Gustosa (2nd Sunday & Saturday)
A Tribute to agriculture with a harvest festival and other events. All day fruit & vegetable market in the town center.

Cagli
Sagra della lumaca (3rd Sunday)
Snail festival

Monte Porzio
Salciccia n't canton (3rd Sunday & Saturday before starting at 3pm)
Sausage festival with live entertainment & shows with historic re-enactments & tournaments.

Barchi
Sagra della rana (last Sunday 6pm)
Frog festival - Folk & gastronomic festival based on the frog with dancing.

Maiolo
Festa del pane (last weekend)
Bread festival - local traditions linked to the history of bread & food in the old center & the ovens of the area.

Monte Grimano Terme
Sagra della lumaca (Weekend at the end of the month - check web site for updates)
Snail festival

Pesaro
Bellino dell'Enohobby- Wine & Oil International Festival (check the site for updates on the date)
National & International extra virgin olive oil competition L'Ociolo d'Oro; national wine competition Bollino dell'Enhobby; show-cases of tastes, islands of taste, tasting stands, theme dinners in Palazzo Gradari.

Serrungarina
Fiera di San Cipriano (Check web site for dates)
Feast of San Cipriano traditional fair displaying & selling a variety of goods, food & wine, live entertainment all day.

Continuing All Summer:

Sant'Angelo in Vado
Estate Vadese (June - August at 9:00pm in Town Square)
Summer in Sant'Angelo in Vado - only 10 minutes from Agriturismo Ca'Camone.
Exhibitions, music, theater, street performers, sport, games, live entertainment, tastings of typical products, local festivals & monuments open to the public.

Gabicce Mare
Mercatino di prodotti naturali (June - September on Thursdays & Sundays at 8:30pm)
Natural products market

Mondolfo
Eventi estivi (June - August)
Musical events, theatre, sport, gastronomy, exhibitions, evening markets & much more along the seaside area of Marotta & in the old center of Mondolfo

Gradara
Medioevo a tavola (All year long)
The pleasures of the table in the Middle Ages, medieval dinners in the restaurants of the old center.

Gradara
Giovedi al castello (Thursdays at 9pm June - August)
Thursdays at the castle, re-enactment of the closure of the gate to the village at vespers, procession in period costume, fire-eaters & more!

Of course there are tons more festivals than listed here - many religious & handcrafted items.  Visit the Official Tourism Site for Pesaro e Urbino for more information as well as Marche in Festa.

Ashley Bartner is the Living in Italy Editor for Wandering Educators. You can find her recipes and photos at:

http://www.latavolamarche.com
http://latavolamarche.blogspot.com